Slider holder

ABSTRACT

A slider holder for holding sliders for mounting on a fastener chain is provided with a spring-loaded lever means engageable with the slider, a spring-loaded locking means for normally holding the lever means in locked position and a spring-loaded slider mounting means for releasably mounting sliders thereon. The said three means are operatively associated such that the slider is firmly retained in place during the threading therethrough of a fastener chain and released with utmost ease by disengaging the lever means from the locking means.

United States Patent 1191 Dori 1 May 28, 1974 SLIDER HOLDER 3,685,8l4 8/1972 Kawakami 24/211515 H [75] Inventor: Hisashi Dori, Uozu, Japan 4 73 Assignee: Yoshida Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Primary Eager Tokyo, Japan 22 F1 d: M l l 22 1973 57 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 362,783

A slider holder for holding sliders for mounting on a fastener chain is provided with a spring-loaded lever [30] Foreign Apphcauon Pnomy Data means engageable with the slider, a spring-loaded May 24, 1972 Japan 47-51913 locking means for normally holding the lever means in locked position and a spring-loaded slider mounting [52] US. Cl. 29/207.5 SL means for releasably mounting sliders thereon Th [51] lift. Cl B23) 19/04 Said three means are Operatively associated h that [58] n of swung/207's 2075 2075 the slider is firmly retained in place during the threading therethrough of a fastener chain and released with utmost ease by disengaging the lever means from the locking means.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED MAY 2 8 I974 sum 2 0F 2 SLIDER HOLDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a slider holder for holding sliders in position while assembling a slide fastener chain therethrough, and has for its object to provide an improved slider holder of this character which can hold the slider in completely locked position against displacement during the assembling therethrough of a slide fastener chain and release the assembled slider with utmost case.

In the US. Pat. No. 3,685,814 filed by the present applicants, there is disclosed a slider holder which comprises a spring-actuated lever means engageable in an opening in the pull tab of the slider to hold the latter in assembling position and a locking means associated with said lever to retain the latter in the locked position in which the slider is mounted on a fastener chain. While this prior device has many advantages of its own and is similar in the general slider holding concept to the present invention, it has been found not completely satisfactory in retaining the slider in position firmly enough to prohibit displacement'of the slider during the assembling operation or accidental unlocking of the lever when increased external forces are imposed on the slider. Special care was therefore needed to manipulate the device in a prescribed manner and added attention had to be paid where the fastener chain to be handled had been previously attached to a garment fabric or other heavy, bulky articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With these difficulties in view, the present invention has been developed to achieve the ideal function of holding sliders in completely locked position until they have been assembled on a fastener chain. The above objects and other features of the invention will become subsequently apparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a partly sectional elevationof a slider holder embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line IIII of F IG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 through 5, inclusive, are partly sectional perspective views utilized to explain the operation of the slider holder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings and FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular, there is shown a slider holder which comprises a supporting block or housing 11 having a vertically elongated bore 12 and an enlarged cavity 13 communicating therewith. A slider mounting means 14 is mounted vertically movably in the bore 12 and provided with a slider rest 15 .formed integrally on the top end thereof for mounting a slider S.

At the bottom end of the mounting means 14, there is formed a flange portion 16 having transversely protruding ledges l7 engageable with first inner transverse surfaces 18 of the supporting block 11, said first surfaces defining with second transverse inner surfaces 19 of the aforesaid enlarged cavity 13.

A recess 20 is formed in the bottom end of the flange 16 for accommodating therein one end of a vertically disposed large compression spring 21, the other end of which spring is seated in a corresponding recess 22 formed in the lower portion of the block 11. The large compression spring or first spring 21 is adapted to urge the slider mounting means 14 normally upwardly until the ledges 17 are held in abutting relation to the first inner surfaces 18.

The slider mounting means 14 is provided interiorly with a vertical slit 23 extending longitudinally thereof for receiving the pull tab P of the slider S, as shown, and a recess 24 contiguous to the slit 23 for providing an escape for the operating tip end of a lever means hereinafter described. The slider mounting means or support 14 is further provided with a downwardly directed protuberance 25.

There is provideda slider retaining means or lever 26 pivotally connected by pin 27 to a side wall of the block 11 and having a tapered operating tip of hook 28 adapted to be thrusted into and out of an opening P0 in the pull tab P. The lever 26 is further provided with a concave portion 29 engageable with a corresponding convex portion 30 formed at one end of a locking member 31 extending transversely of and accommodated within the block 11. The other end of the locking member 31 is pivotally connected by pin 32 to the block 11 as better shown in FIG. 1.

There are provided a pair of second compression springs 33 accommodated in the interior of the block 11 and extending transversely thereof for biasing the lever 26 normally in a counterclockwise direction such that the hook 28 of the lever 26 engages in the slit 23, more specifically in the opening P0 of the slider pull tab P when the slider S is set in assembling position'as later described. I v

A third compression spring 34 is provided for urging the locking member 31 normally in a direction such that the convex portion 30 engages with the lever 26, more specifically with the concave portion 29 thereof when the slider S is released as later described. To accomplish this, the third compression spring 34 is disposed vertically within the large compression spring 21 with one end seated in the recess 22 and the other end connected to a retaining pin 35 extending from the locking member 31.

With this construction, the various operating parts of the slider holder 10 prior to the mounting of a slider S appear as shown in FIG. 3, wherein the slider retaining lever 26 is held in'substantially upright position with its hook 28 retracted away, from the slit 23 and with its concave portion 29 fitted into interlocked engagement with the convex portion 30 of the locking member 31.

In this position of the holder 10, the slider S is mounted on the slider rest 15 with the pull tab P inserted dependently within the slit 23 as shown in FIG. 4. The slider S is depressed as by finger pressure thereby causing the slider mounting support 14 to move downwardly against the tension of the first spring 21 until the protuberance .25 abuts against and causes the locking member 31 to turn about the pivot pin 32 slightly clockwise against the tension of the thrid spring 34 so that the convex portion 30 of the member 31 disengages from the concave portion 29 of the lever 26. This permits the second springs 33, which have been compressed inwardly, to resume their action and urge the lever 26 to turn about the pivot pin 27 slightly counter-clockwise until the hook 28 registers with and thrusts into the opening P of theslider pull tab P as shown in FIG. 5 of FIG. 1.

The finger pressure is now released, whereupon the slider S is firmly anchored in place by one category of action in which the slider S is urged downwardly by the lever 26 under the influence of the second springs 33 and by another category of aciton in which the slider S is urged upwardly by the mounting support 14 under the influence of the first spring 21. The slider S is thus held in completely locked position and is ready for the assembling thereof through a slide fastener chain either per se or attached to a garment, whichever the case may be, during which assembly operation the slider can retain its positional stability as desired.

Upon completion of the assembly, the slider S is released expeditiously by pressing the lower end of the lever 26 inwardly towards the body of the holder only with a minimum of effort required to compress the second springs 33, whereupon the lever 26 turns clockwise until the hook 28 disengages from the opening P0 of the slider pull tab P. Immediately this takes place, the slider mounting support 14 is moved swiftly upwardly by the return aciton of the first spring 21,'which has been compressed, whereby the protuberance 25 disengages from the locking member 31 to permit the latter to turn counter-clockwise by the return action of the third spring 34 until the convex portion 30 is brought into locked engagement with the concave portion 29 thereby retaining the lever 26 substantially in upright position with the hook 28 clear or the slit 23.

While the invention has beendescribed as to the precise formand construction of one preferred embodiment which it assumes in practice, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein as appear apparent to one skilled in the art but without departing from .the scope of the appended claims.

. What is claimed is:

l A slider holder for holding sliders while assembling a slide fastener chain therethrough, said slider having a pull tab and an opening therein,'which slider holder comprises a housing having a vertically elongated bore, a spring-loaded slider mounting means having a vertical slit therein and a slider rest on the top end thereof for mounting a slider thereon, said mounting means vertically movable in said bore, a spring-loaded lever means pivotally connected to said housing and having a tapered tip end movable into and out of said slit to engage and disengage from said opening in said pull tab, and a spring-loaded locking means pivotally supported within said housing and engageable with said slider mounting means for locking and unlocking said lever means.

2. The slider holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said slider mounting means is provided at the bottom end thereof with a downwardly directed protuberance for abutting engagement with said locking means.

3. The slider holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking means is provided with a convex portion and said lever mean's with a concave portion for interfitting engagement with said convex portion. 

1. A slider holder for holding sliders while assembling a slide fastener chain therethrough, said slider having a pull tab and an opening therein, which slider holder comprises a housing having a vertically elongated bore, a spring-loaded slider mounting means having a vertical slit therein and a slider rest on the top end thereof for mounting a slider thereon, said mounting means vertically movable in said bore, a spring-loaded lever means pivotally connected to said housing and having a tapered tip end movable into and out of said slit to engage and disengage from said opening in said pull tab, and a spring-loaded locking means pivotally supported within said housing and engageable with said slider mounting means for locking and unlocking said lever means.
 2. The slider holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said slider mounting means is provided at the bottom end thereof with a downwardly directed protuberance for abutting engagement with said locking means.
 3. The slider holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking means is provided with a convex portion and said lever means with a concave portion for interfitting engagement with said convex portion. 